The USCIS anticipates approximately 350,000 applicants for H-1B visas in Fiscal Year 2025, a significant decrease from last year’s figures.
Last year, the USCIS received a total of 758,994 applications, with 408,891 of them being duplicates. Changes in the registration process were implemented by USCIS to curb fraud, resulting in a halved number of registrations this year.
Registration for this year’s H-1B visa lottery opened on March 6 and will close on March 22. Notably, USCIS has altered its selection process, now focusing on individual applicants rather than the number of times their employers register them. This means that even if an individual is registered by multiple employers, they will only be entered into the lottery once. If selected, all registered employers can proceed with the H-1B visa application.
However, this new process presents challenges for employers, as selected individuals may opt to work for different employers instead. Additionally, starting April 1, visa petition fees will increase, impacting employers hiring high-skilled foreign nationals. Specifically, H-1B visa petition fees will surge by 70%, L-1 petitions will see a 201% increase, and O-1 petitions will experience a 129% hike.
